Rarities. B-Sides

[Ellie]

I would be very surprised if she sings in Gaelic. Sarah knows a little bit of French, but Gaelic . I have three tracks called "Madness". On two of them ("solo version" and "jam"), she only does some "la la la". One the second one ("monster jam mono"), she sings in English. Do you hear something else?

Karine, if it's not too much trouble, could you send me those three tracks? I've got only two of them (Solo version and early demo) and in both she sings at the end in some different language, like Ed says. If you want, I'll send you the ones I have as well.

[Karine]

OMG: you are both right!
I think that when I listened to the tracks last week, I accidentally listen to the same track twice.

Ed: I don't remember that Sarah ever talked about these songs. She talked a few times about how rough it was when she wrote and recorded Solace. The label rejected many of the songs and it was really frustrating for her. In my memory, they also changed the producer and the musicians.

I listened carefully to the tracks again and here's what I have:
1- "Madness - solo version" (4:30): she sings the lyrics above and at 3:45, she begins to sing in another language
2- "Madness - early demo" (4:50): same as "solo version"
3- "Madness - monster jam mono" (13:04): I think they recorded this track while practicing the song
4- "Madness - jam" (8:16): instrumental track with some la-la-la

Ellen: which tracks do you want? As you can see, I have 4 differents versions of Madness.

Here are the lyrics found on Youtube (without the other language part):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-Fh9V1BF1Y

Searching through the wreckage, brings me to my knees
I can sense the madness, it lingers on the breeze
Rests upon my shoulder and glides along my spine
Resurrecting all my fears by deceiving whats mine
And what is really mine and whats only a matter of time

In the moments of clearness, sometimes I can understand
(subtlety is washed away by the tears of time)
The feeling of your calmness, oh I need it so
(the sea corrodes the flesh to bone)
But in the moments of madness, theres no one here by my side
(the pain is waiting for so long in vain)
Theres nothing I can say that will change things now
(sacrificed the heart, was turned to stone)

I took it as a message, I see it clearly now
Desolation everywhere; all my thoughts allow
Seeps into my conscience, sadly unrefined
Resurrecting all my fears by deceiving what is mine
And what is really mine and whats only a matter of time

In the moments of clearness, sometimes I can understand
(subtlety is washed away by the tears of time)
The feeling of your calmness oh I need it so
(the sea corrodes the flesh to bone)
But in the moments of madness, theres no one here by my side
(the pain is waiting for so long in vain)
Theres nothing I can say that will change things now
(sacrificed the heart, was turned to stone)

[Islandflyer]

That's where I first heard this, I think, Karine. It's a fascinating song. Looks like we need a "unknown language" expert! I thought this was really intriguing, and wondered if Sarah has done other songs in French, perhaps? It sounds like Nettwork wanted her to go in a different direction than where she wanted to go with her music at the time. Solace and some of her later music was clearly influenced by her exposure to the 3rd world in Cambodia. Perhaps they wanted to de-emphasize that aspect in her music? So I wonder if there is a "subliminal" message in those "unknown language" lyrics she was trying to deliver. Or maybe just a nod to friends who spoke Gaelic or whatever it is?

I sense there is a reason for everything in her songs, so it was likely there for a reason, too.

Perhaps "Madness" speaks more to those troubles with her label than anything else, and the answer is in those last verses. She has such a way of writing that invites different interpretations. If she ever puts this on a record, she needs to keep those verses.

Sarah is very clever with her lyrics. The mystery deepens....

So on another topic; Do any of you have the vinyl edition of "Touch"? I assume the liner with the lyrics is much larger than the tiny-print one with the CD, and I would like a larger one. The artwork and hand-written lyrics are really cool. There are several on eBay. I really like the music on this album, too!

[Karine]

The only French song I ever heard from her was "Quand les hommes vivront d'amour" (written by Raymond Lévesque). She sang it for the Unicef concert in Montréal (28-11-2007), as an introduction to Angel.

About the vinyl edition of Touch: if you want it only for the artwork, I can send you the scans I did a few years ago. Because it's a folded booklet, you can see marks in the center of the pages, but the quality of my scans is good.
If you want the vinyl for itself, than I can't help you.

[Islandflyer]

Thank you, Karine. That would be great, if you don't mind. edmundlmay@gmail.com will work for that. Sarah did all the artwork on that album, I have read. Did she do the cover picture as well? The old vinyl records were really nice for the large inserts and sleeves they often had. The "good old days".

[Karine]

Thank you, Karine. That would be great, if you don't mind. edmundlmay@gmail.com will work for that. Sarah did all the artwork on that album, I have read. Did she do the cover picture as well? The old vinyl records were really nice for the large inserts and sleeves they often had. The "good old days".

I just sent you an email with the scans.
I think Sarah did the frame design of the front and back cover (on this version of Touch: http://eil.com/images/main/Sarah+McLach ... 149760.jpg).
I'm pretty sure her picture was taken by Kevin Westenberg (on the original and second covers), like many other Touch promo pictures.

[Islandflyer]

I got your email, Karine. Thank you. The cover shot looks like a cemetery, but that fits with a "Gothic" theme. It has a softness to it, as if it were airbrushed, giving it the look of a painting. Or perhaps the entire scene is a painting, with her picture superimposed? It's nicely done, in any case. Definitely fits the music.

[Karine]

I got your email, Karine. Thank you. The cover shot looks like a cemetery, but that fits with a "Gothic" theme. It has a softness to it, as if it were airbrushed, giving it the look of a painting. Or perhaps the entire scene is a painting, with her picture superimposed? It's nicely done, in any case. Definitely fits the music.

I don't know anything about the making-of of Touch cover. Maybe someone else does...?

[Islandflyer]

OMG: you are both right!
I think that when I listened to the tracks last week, I accidentally listen to the same track twice.

Ed: I don't remember that Sarah ever talked about these songs. She talked a few times about how rough it was when she wrote and recorded Solace. The label rejected many of the songs and it was really frustrating for her. In my memory, they also changed the producer and the musicians.

I listened carefully to the tracks again and here's what I have:
1- "Madness - solo version" (4:30): she sings the lyrics above and at 3:45, she begins to sing in another language
2- "Madness - early demo" (4:50): same as "solo version"
3- "Madness - monster jam mono" (13:04): I think they recorded this track while practicing the song
4- "Madness - jam" (8:16): instrumental track with some la-la-la

Ellen: which tracks do you want? As you can see, I have 4 differents versions of Madness.

Here are the lyrics found on Youtube (without the other language part):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-Fh9V1BF1Y

Searching through the wreckage, brings me to my knees
I can sense the madness, it lingers on the breeze
Rests upon my shoulder and glides along my spine
Resurrecting all my fears by deceiving whats mine
And what is really mine and whats only a matter of time

In the moments of clearness, sometimes I can understand
(subtlety is washed away by the tears of time)
The feeling of your calmness, oh I need it so
(the sea corrodes the flesh to bone)
But in the moments of madness, theres no one here by my side
(the pain is waiting for so long in vain)
Theres nothing I can say that will change things now
(sacrificed the heart, was turned to stone)

I took it as a message, I see it clearly now
Desolation everywhere; all my thoughts allow
Seeps into my conscience, sadly unrefined
Resurrecting all my fears by deceiving what is mine
And what is really mine and whats only a matter of time

In the moments of clearness, sometimes I can understand
(subtlety is washed away by the tears of time)
The feeling of your calmness oh I need it so
(the sea corrodes the flesh to bone)
But in the moments of madness, theres no one here by my side
(the pain is waiting for so long in vain)
Theres nothing I can say that will change things now
(sacrificed the heart, was turned to stone)

In regard to the last (unknown) lyrics, I heard from a friend in England, to whom I had sent the link for this song and asked if she knew anything about it. She said she sang Gaelic songs as a child, but no-one in her family knew the language. She thought it was Gaelic, however, and has relatives from Scotland, so that makes sense.

Now where's that number for Sherlock Holmes? Baker St., London, right?

[Karine]

In regard to the last (unknown) lyrics, I heard from a friend in England, to whom I had sent the link for this song and asked if she knew anything about it. She said she sang Gaelic songs as a child, but no-one in her family knew the language. She thought it was Gaelic, however, and has relatives from Scotland, so that makes sense.

Now where's that number for Sherlock Holmes? Baker St., London, right?

Maybe you can ask members of online gaelic forums, if it exists.